The Smiths’ “William, It Was Really Nothing” Lyrics Meaning

There have been a couple of profound interpretations offered for “William, It Was Really Nothing”, but by comparison Morrissey’s own explanation is pretty simple. As he has described this track, it is meant to sort of counteract the prevailing feminist take on marriage. 

In other words, he had grown weary of certain female singers pushing the idea that it was more ideal for ladies to remain single in the name personal development. So Morrissey set out to illustrate, specifically to male listeners, that from his perspective marriage is also, in his own words, “a waste of time”.

And it can be easily gathered by the listener that such an idea serves as the basis of the second verse. Or in the very least, in this passage we find the vocalist criticizing “William” for apparently marrying “a fat girl” who comes off as if she’s more interested in getting married for marriage’s sake as opposed to genuinely being in love.

It is pretty clear that the vocalist does not agree with the actions of William, someone who reads as if he has allowed himself to be pressured into getting married to a less-than-ideal partner. And as for Morrissey, he clarifies that it is only himself whom he ‘dreams’ about. Or put more simply all things considered, he’s not the type to allow himself to dumb out over a female.

Poor William

The first verse isn’t as simple to make sense of. But taking its wording into consideration alongside that of the chorus, William is depicted as having been bored or depressed to the point that he ended up devaluing his life. 

And the way that disposition has been manifested, in the eyes of Morrissey, is via marrying the aforementioned lady. So ultimately, the vocalist telling William that making that decision “was nothing” is an act of sarcasm.

Or put otherwise, even if not an advocate of the practice, Morrissey understands that marriage is indeed a major, life-changing step. Perhaps that is one of the reasons he is against the practice in the first place, i.e. making a commitment to a woman that you can’t get out of. So he appears to be under the impression that “William” opted to make that move too lackadaisically or for the wrong reasons. And now, he is criticizing him accordingly.

Noteworthy Stuff in the Lyrics of “William, It Was Really Nothing”

In the first verse, we learn that William lives in “a humdrum town“. According to Morrissey, his continuous stay in this town has dragged William down due to its lack of interesting things. Also, we get to know that the town is a pretty depressing one thanks to the fact that it experiences a lot of rainfall.

Everyone who has lived in a place where it constantly rains can attest to the fact that living in such places can indeed be quite depressing. The frequent lack of sunshine in such places is often what makes people feel down.

Apparently the narrator grew up with William in this boring town but somehow left it because he wanted to live his life to the fullest.

Presently, he is speaking directly to William. What is not very clear is whether the conversation he is having with him is in person or over the phone. But what is clear is that he is letting William know that the town in which he has chosen to remain has dragged him town. However, for him (the narrator), he has to live life and he doesn’t see that happening in that town. To be honest, his tone sounds as though he is quite disappointed in William for the choice he has made.

Why William has decided to remain in the boring town

In the second verse, it is brought to the listener’s attention that William is in a relationship with a local girl. It is possible that she is one of the reasons William has decided to remain in this “humdrum town“.

And from the narrator’s utterances, it is very clear that he doesn’t approve of this relationship. In his disappointment, he asks William how he can be in a relationship with a “fat girl“. And as if that isn’t enough, it is clear that William and his girlfriend plan to get married.

While it is never stated in the song, some analysts say that the protagonist might have once had a romantic relationship with William. It is for this reason he is so against William getting married to this girl.

Many believe that Morrissey wrote the song about his Scottish friend Billy MacKenzie of The Associates fame. In 1993, Billy MacKenzie and The Associates released a song titled “Stephen, You’re Really Something”. This song was in response to The Smiths’ “William, It Was Really Nothing”.

FYI: “Steven” is Morrissey’s first name.  

Billy MacKenzie committed suicide at the age of 39 in 1997.

Facts about “William, It Was Really Nothing”

Morrissey wrote the lyrics of “William, It Was Really Nothing” whereas guitarist Johnny Marr wrote the music.

The song came out on August 20th, 1984.

Morrissey got the inspiration for the song’s lyrics from Keith Waterhouse’s 1959 novel titled Billy Liar.

Smith’s fan American rapper and singer Andre 3000 who is famed for being the other half of the rap duo OutKast once referred to the song as his favorite.

The song was released as a single and never appeared on any of the four studio albums of the band.

The song is considered one of the greatest songs in the entire history of music. At a point, it even made its way into Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The song peaked at the 17th position on the UK Singles Chart.